Special Coverage

Familiar foes meet again in Big Jag

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Cal-bred millionaire sprinters Echo Eddie and Full Moon Madness will renew an old rivalry when they meet at six furlongs in a field of five entered for Saturday's $60,000-added Big Jag Handicap at Bay Meadows.

"I wish he weren't there, and he probably wishes I weren't," said Robert Marshall, trainer of Full Moon Madness, referring to Echo Eddie's trainer, Darrell Vienna.

"We were kind of looking for a confidence builder, but I don't know with Full Moon Madness in there," said Scott Chaney, the assistant to Vienna.

Echo Eddie and Full Moon Madness have met five times. Depending upon how the two run Saturday, they could meet again in a month in the $100,000 California Sprint Championship here and a month after that in the Cal Cup.

"The timing's great with that other sprint stakes and Cal Cup," Marshall said. "Cal-breds have their route mapped out for them pretty well."

Echo Eddie has been at Bay Meadows for a week. "If he runs well, he'll stay for the other stakes," Chaney said.

The 8-year-old Full Moon Madness has won 15 of 36 starts and earned $1,001,185. The 6-year-old Echo Eddie has won 10 of 27 starts and $1,028,754. Full Moon Madness has finished ahead of Echo Eddie in three of their five meetings.

"He tries every time," said Marshall, who has run Full Moon Madness only eight times since his meeting with Echo Eddie in the Dayjur Handicap on Dec. 22, 2000, at Hollywood Park. Full Moon Madness has four wins - including in all three starts in 2002 - a second and two thirds during that time.

He won his comeback on July 12 in the Robert Kerlan at Hollywood Park and became a millionaire with his third-place finish behind Disturbingthepeace in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien on Aug. 17 at Del Mar.

"He had a rough trip," Marshall said. "He was bumped by the leaders and knocked back to fifth. He lost more ground, then he rallied very wide. Not many would have come back for third."

Echo Eddie also comes off a troubled outing when sixth in the Green Flash Handicap on Aug. 20 at Del Mar.

"He didn't run at all," Chaney said. "He had to check at the half-mile pole, and you can't discourage him much. As soon as the race was over, we started looking at this."

Full Moon Madness has been favored over Echo Eddie four of the five times they have met and may have more tactical speed. He could end up stalking the pace behind the expected leaders, My Captain and Ex Kay E, who drew the rail.